TEU handling increased at SLPA

Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has recorded a considerable improvement in container through-put (TEUs) for the month of December 2009, compared to the same period of 2008. Compared to the total of 136,268 TEUs handled by SLPA in the month of December 2008, it has handled a total of 153,317 TEUs in December 2009, marking a growth of 12.5%.
Compared to the overall 259,308 TEUs handled at the Port of Colombo in December 2008, it has handled a total of 309,009TEUs in December 2009 marking a growth of 19.2%.
On November 5, 2009, the long awaited northern entrance of Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) that had been kept closed for years because of the possibility of attack by LTTE terrorists was re-opened with the initiative of Minister of Port, Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management Chamal Rajapaksa. Earlier the Sri Lanka Ports Authority had also completed dredging of the northern entrance to Colombo port to facilitate the increasing number of vessels at the port.
According to the request by SLPA to re-open the northern entrance of Colombo Port to facilitate smoother maritime transportation through the northern entrance and following the acknowledgment of Minister of Port, Aviation, Irrigation and Water Management Chamal Rajapaksa of the immediate importance of re-opening of the entrance, to t he President, steps were taken to re-open the northern entrance of Colombo port.
Expressing views at the occasion Minister Chamal Rajapaksa said that once the war on terrorism is over all steps have been expedited through ‘Mahinda Chintahana’ to ease the all restrictions that were standing against the economic and social development of the country. He also said that the re-opening of the northern entrance of the Colombo Port from this day onwards will largely facilitate the increasing efficiency towards a higher productivity level at the port.
At a special function here, recently, the Chairman of SLPA Dr.Priyath Bandu Wickrama said that SLPA was taking all measures to increase the productivity of the port while facilitating all its employees with better welfare and other benefits even amidst mega investments to develop the port sector around the country aiming the future economic and social development of Sri Lanka.
He also stated that the re-opening of the northern entrance of the Colombo Port will not only facilitate the Port of Colombo but would also ease the maritime transportation of the entire region. He added that with this latest opening, the Port of Colombo can go ahead with its operations as a much secured container port in the world.